rénqún: 人群 - Crowd, Throng, Population

• Keywords: renqun, 人群, what does renqun mean, Chinese for crowd, population in Chinese, group of people Chinese, 人群 meaning, 人群 vs 人们, target audience in Chinese, specific population
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 人群 (rénqún), the essential Chinese word for “crowd,” “throng,” or a specific “population.” This guide breaks down its characters, cultural context, and practical use in modern China, from describing a busy street to defining a target audience in a business report. Understand the key difference between 人群 (rénqún) and 人们 (rénmen) to avoid common mistakes and speak more like a native.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): rénqún
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A crowd, throng, or a specific group/population of people.
• In a Nutshell: 人群 (rénqún) is a neutral, descriptive term for any collection of people. Think of it as a “flock of people.” It can be a literal, physical crowd you see in a train station, or an abstract, defined group, like “young consumers” or “high-risk individuals” in a study. The key idea is a group, viewed as a single entity.

• 人 (rén): A simple pictograph of a person walking. It is one of the most fundamental characters, meaning “person,” “people,” or “human.”
• 群 (qún): A combination of 君 (jūn - ruler) and 羊 (yáng - sheep). The image is of a shepherd (君) managing his flock (羊). By itself, 群 means “group,” “crowd,” or “flock.”

When combined, 人 (rén) and 群 (qún) literally mean “a flock of people,” perfectly capturing the essence of a crowd or a defined group of humans.

While 人群 (rénqún) isn't a deeply philosophical term like 关系 (guānxi), its frequent usage reflects a collectivist-leaning perspective common in Chinese culture. Society is often viewed and analyzed through the lens of groups rather than just individuals. Public policy, marketing, and social commentary frequently refer to specific 人群 (e.g., the elderly population, migrant workers, the post-90s generation). In Western culture, the word “crowd” can sometimes carry a slightly negative or chaotic connotation (e.g., “mob rule,” “getting lost in the crowd”). 人群 (rénqún), however, is fundamentally neutral. It is an objective observation of a collection of people. The feeling or judgment comes from the adjectives used with it, such as 热情的人群 (rèqíng de rénqún) (an enthusiastic crowd) or 拥挤的人群 (yōngjǐ de rénqún) (a congested crowd). This neutrality makes it a versatile tool for both everyday description and formal analysis.

人群 (rénqún) is an incredibly common and practical word used in various modern contexts.

• Describing Physical Crowds: This is its most literal meaning. You'll use it to talk about busy public spaces.
  • e.g., a train station, a concert, a tourist attraction.
• Defining Demographics and Target Groups: This is a crucial usage in professional settings like business, marketing, public health, and sociology. It's the standard term for “target audience” or “demographic.”
  • e.g., 目标人群 (mùbiāo rénqún - target group), 消费人群 (xiāofèi rénqún - consumer group), 弱势人群 (ruòshì rénqún - vulnerable groups).
• Social and Online Contexts: It can refer to a fan base, a following on social media, or any identifiable group of people online.
  • e.g., “This vlogger has a huge young fan base (粉丝人群).”

The term is neither formal nor informal and can be used in both spoken conversation and written reports.

• Example 1:
  • 节假日期间，市中心总是挤满了人群。
  • Pinyin: Jiàrì qījiān, shìzhōngxīn zǒngshì jǐmǎnle rénqún.
  • English: During holidays, the city center is always packed with crowds.
  • Analysis: A classic, literal use of 人群 to describe a busy, crowded place.
• Example 2:
  • 我们的新产品主要面向年轻人群。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn zhǔyào miànxiàng niánqīng rénqún.
  • English: Our new product mainly targets the young demographic.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the key business and marketing usage of 人群 to mean “demographic” or “group.”
• Example 3:
  • 他不喜欢嘈杂的人群，宁愿一个人待着。
  • Pinyin: Tā bù xǐhuān cáozá de rénqún, nìngyuàn yí ge rén dāizhe.
  • English: He doesn't like noisy crowds and prefers to be alone.
  • Analysis: Shows a personal preference, using an adjective (嘈杂 - noisy) to give 人群 a specific quality.
• Example 4:
  • 医生提醒，这种病毒在高危人群中传播得更快。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng tíxǐng, zhè zhǒng bìngdú zài gāowēi rénqún zhōng chuánbō de gèng kuài.
  • English: The doctor warned that this virus spreads faster among high-risk populations.
  • Analysis: A common and important usage in public health and scientific contexts.
• Example 5:
  • 演讲者的话引起了人群的阵阵掌声。
  • Pinyin: Yǎnjiǎngzhě de huà yǐnqǐle rénqún de zhènzhèn zhǎngshēng.
  • English: The speaker's words drew rounds of applause from the crowd.
  • Analysis: Here, the 人群 is acting as a collective unit, responding to an event.
• Example 6:
  • 他迅速地看了一眼，然后在人群中找到了他的朋友。
  • Pinyin: Tā xùnsù de kànle yī yǎn, ránhòu zài rénqún zhōng zhǎodàole tā de péngyou.
  • English: He glanced quickly and then found his friend in the crowd.
  • Analysis: The phrase 在人群中 (zài rénqún zhōng), meaning “in the crowd,” is extremely common.
• Example 7:
  • 不同的人群对这个社会问题的看法也不同。
  • Pinyin: Bùtóng de rénqún duì zhège shèhuì wèntí de kànfǎ yě bùtóng.
  • English: Different groups of people have different views on this social issue.
  • Analysis: This shows 人群 being used to segment society into different “groups” based on opinion or other characteristics.
• Example 8:
  • 作为一个公众人物，他必须考虑到自己的行为对特定人群的影响。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yí ge gōngzhòng rénwù, tā bìxū kǎolǜ dào zìjǐ de xíngwéi duì tèdìng rénqún de yǐngxiǎng.
  • English: As a public figure, he must consider the impact of his actions on specific groups of people.
  • Analysis: 特定人群 (tèdìng rénqún) means “specific groups” and is a very useful phrase in formal discussions.
• Example 9:
  • 音乐会吸引了来自世界各地的音乐爱好者人群。
  • Pinyin: Yīnyuèhuì xīyǐnle láizì shìjiè gèdì de yīnyuè àihàozhě rénqún.
  • English: The concert attracted crowds of music lovers from all over the world.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how you can define the crowd by its shared interest (music lovers).
• Example 10:
  • 警察试图疏散聚集在广场上的人群。
  • Pinyin: Jǐngchá shìtú shūsàn jùjí zài guǎngchǎng shàng de rénqún.
  • English: The police attempted to disperse the crowd gathered in the square.
  • Analysis: A common context involving authorities and large gatherings of people.

The most significant point of confusion for learners is the difference between 人群 (rénqún) and 人们 (rénmen).

• 人群 (rénqún): A crowd; a specific group of people. It is a collective noun. You can count it (e.g., 一群人 - one crowd of people) and it refers to a tangible or definable group.
  • Correct: 广场上有一大群人。 (There is a large crowd of people in the square.)
  • Correct: 这个广告的目标人群是学生。(The target group for this ad is students.)
• 人们 (rénmen): People (in general). It is a plural pronoun, like “they” or “people” in English when you say “People say that…”. It is abstract and cannot be counted.
  • Correct: 人们常说，“时间就是金钱”。 (People often say, “Time is money.”)
  • Incorrect: 人群常说，“时间就是金钱”。 (This is wrong because you're not referring to a specific crowd.)

Key takeaway: If you can replace the word with “a crowd” or “a specific demographic,” use 人群 (rénqún). If you mean “people in general,” use 人们 (rénmen).

• 人们 (rénmen) - “People” in a general, plural sense. The most common point of confusion with 人群.
• 群众 (qúnzhòng) - “The masses,” “the populace.” Often used in a political or official context (e.g., serving the masses). More formal and abstract than 人群.
• 公众 (gōngzhòng) - “The public.” Refers to people as members of society with civic rights and opinions (e.g., public opinion, public interest).
• 人口 (rénkǒu) - “Population” in a statistical, demographic sense (e.g., the population of a country). Used for numbers and data.
• 人山人海 (rén shān rén hǎi) - A very popular idiom meaning “people mountain, people sea.” It's a vivid way to describe an enormous crowd, often used in the same sentences as 人群.
• 集体 (jítǐ) - “Collective” or “group.” Emphasizes a shared organization or purpose, like a work team or a community.
• 民众 (mínzhòng) - “The people,” “the populace.” Similar to 群众 but can feel slightly less political.
• 个人 (gèrén) - “Individual.” The direct antonym to concepts like 人群 and 集体.